The State of Iowa, Department of Education, conducted our School Improvement Visit on November 16-18, 2010. As part of that visit, they also assessed our Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Old Children. We congratulate everyone involved at the following participating preschools for achieving such great results: Central DeWitt Preschool, Creative Learning Preschool, Grace Lutheran Preschool, Kid’s Business Preschool, Saint Joseph Preschool.

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter to prepare for another year of the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program. We applied for the grant funding to get this program up and running, and were notified in May 2009, that we are one of the school districts that were approved for the grant. Our first year of providing a 4-year-old preschool was 2009-2010.

We have received some children’s names as 4-year-olds that might participate in this program from local preschools we are working collaboratively with. To help us with the initial phases of the implementation of this program, we ask that you fill out the attached Student Application and return it to my office as soon as possible. All preschool registration will take place through the school district.

As the Student Application states, please mark your top three choices regarding where you would like your child to attend. This, along with the information regarding transportation, is an integral part of our initial steps.

Our school district was granted funding for 93 students. If we go over 93 students, we have agreed as a Preschool Committee that we will continue to allow all students to be free-of-charge. It is very important that we have students register as soon as possible. We turn in our preschool enrollment data in August and the number of students we have registered on that date determines the amount of funding we will receive for the year.

If you know of other parents with 4-year-old children that could benefit from this program, whether they live in our school district or not, please send them my way. Registration forms are available on our website, at the local preschools, and posted throughout the community. These forms need to be completed and returned to my office as soon as possible. Please either drop off or send your application form to Superintendent Dan Peterson, 331 E. 8th St., DeWitt, Iowa 52742.

If you have any questions about this program or anything else, don’t hesitate to contact me.